For 50 years, generations of Memphians have been coming to La Baguette French Bread & Pastry Shop for a loaf of sourdough, a quick bowl of spicy tomato soup or, if we're being honest, "just one more" cinnamon roll "for the road."
That's a remarkable run for any restaurant or bakery.
But perhaps what's most incredible about La Baguette is how familiar it all still feels. And perhaps that is why it remains so successful.
La Baguette opened in 1976 with multiple investors including Ruth Howse, who had grown up in Mississippi and studied at Le Cordon Bleu, and Reginald Dalle, who was born near Lille, France, and had an inkling that a local French bakery could be a major success.
In March 2021, brothers (and longtime Memphians) Judd and David Tashie
along with Bill Lucchesi acquired the beloved La Baguette, preserving what Memphis loves about it: the recipes, the familiar faces and the traditions that have made it an institution for all these decades.
The menu has its old favorites. The smells haven't lost their magic. And no matter how long it's been since your last visit, whether it was last week or in 1989, there's something oddly comforting about walking in and already knowing what you're going to order.
In honor of La Baguette's anniversary, as golden as the dozens of croissants they sell in a week, here are five of the reasons this Chickasaw Oaks Plaza gem has remained a Memphis institution for half a century.
The Pastries
Yeah, we'll say it. The La Baguette pastries are why we'll never fit into our skinny jeans.
Their bakery is overflowing with all the good stuff: homemade coffee crumble cakes, peanut butter cookies, banana nut muffins, chocolate tarts and macarons in just about every color imaginable.
But if I had to choose one, I'd have to go with one of the bakery's longtime specialties: the blueberry or strawberry cream cheese pastry.
It's as if a fruit cobbler and a cheesecake decided to become a Danish.
This pastry itself is buttery and flaky, with a soft, cloud-like center filled with rich cream cheese and topped with either strawberry or blueberry goodness. In my opinion, it is one of the best pastries in Memphis, and I'm a little distressed at how often I find myself making an "impromptu" stop to grab one — or nine — for the weekend.
If only I loved broccoli this much.
And if you're not a fan of fruity sweets, there's a savory version, too — a ham and Gruyere cheese pastry that's every bit as satisfying.
The Croque Monsieur
The Croque Monsieur is what happens when a ham-and-cheese sandwich decides it deserves a little drama.
La Baguette's version piles ham and Gruyere cheese onto fresh homemade bread, then blankets the whole situation in creamy béchamel sauce (made from butter, flour and milk).
Naturally, I always choose the baguette for my bread. Ordering anything else at La Baguette, after all, seems rude.
Feeling extra hungry? Go for the Croque Madame, which adds a fried egg on top.
And one more suggestion: Get the French fries. La Baguette has some of the most underrated fries in Memphis.
The Quiches
What's a classic French bakery without quiche?
For me, La Baguette was where I first discovered the fancy French classic: savory, creamy custard tucked into a buttery crust.
The quiches come in several forms, from individual slices and mini quiches to whole pies, making them equally suited for a quick lunch or something to bring home and share for dinner, assuming you're willing to share.
There's the classic Quiche Lorraine, with ham/bacon, eggs, and Swiss cheese; a Spinach and Cheese Quiche; and the Sunrise Quiche, a hearty breakfast combination with sausage, bacon, and cheese.
They're old-fashioned in the best possible way: simple, filling and familiar.
Chicken Salad and Pimento Cheese
The Petite Duo — scoops of classic homemade chicken salad and creamy pimento cheese — is pure La Baguette nostalgia. It's an unlikely pairing if you're thinking strictly in terms of French cuisine. But that's what makes La Baguette feel so distinctly Memphis.
Two old-school Southern lunchtime favorites, served up with that unmistakable French-bakery touch. (Plus some yummy garlic toasts.)
It's the kind of meal your friend's mom might have served after swimming lessons, except with better bread.
And somehow, decades later, it's a combination that is still tough to resist.
The French Onion Soup
And then there's the French onion soup.
La Baguette's spicy tomato soup has a devoted following, and for good reason. But for me, the French onion soup has always felt like one of the bakery's signatures.
Maybe that's because good French onion soup isn't something you find everywhere in Memphis. At La Baguette, it's the kind of bowl that rewards the time and attention that goes into making it: deeply caramelized onions, rich beef broth, a sprinkling of thyme, and that glorious blanket of melted cheese on top.
It's a soup for a rainy day, a sick day, a sunny day or any day you can grab it with both hands and enjoy.
Some foods need the right occasion. French onion soup at La Baguette does not.
La Baguette part of Memphis memories for 50 years
And there you have it. The magic of La Baguette in Memphis.It's not just that the bakery and cafe has managed to keep making great pastries, sandwiches, quiches and soups for 50 years. It's that the food has become a part of people's memories.Maybe you came here with your parents on a Saturday afternoon. Or a babysitter after school on a Thursday. Maybe you still order the same almond poppyseed Danish you did 20 years ago. Or maybe you're about to discover La Baguette for the very first time.
Either way, there's something reassuring about a place that can stay familiar without being stuck in the past.Here's to 50 years of La Baguette, and at least 50 more, plus dozens of memories and warmed-up cinnamon rolls still waiting in that bakery case.
Brian Strickland is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. Contact him at brian.strickland@commercialappeal.com.
To keep up with the latest news from the Memphis food and dining scene, sign up here for our Eat Drink Memphis weekly newsletter.
La Baguette French Bread & Pastry Shop
Where: 3088 Poplar Ave. in the Chickasaw Oaks Plaza
Hours: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday
Online: labaguettememphis.com
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 5 reasons La Baguette has been a Memphis institution for 50 years
